The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #59011

Jordan G. Hampton, NP, School-Based Health Center, Chelsea High School, 299 Everett Avenue, Chelsea, MA 02150 and Michelle L. Zbell, MS, Coordinated School Health Program, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 250 Washington Street, 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02108, 617-524-5537, michelle.zbell@state.ma.us.

Background: Less than one-fifth of youth and adolescents who need mental health services receive them. School-based health centers (SBHC) can increase access to care, address specific needs of adolescents and overcome traditional barriers to access particularly as it relates to mental health needs and services. Adolescents enrolled in a school-based health center at an urban Massachusetts high school participate in the Pediatric Symptom Checklist completed by Youth (PSC-Y). Methods: The PSC-Y is a validated, widely used measurement tool to screen for psychosocial dysfunction. The PSC-Y contains a 35-item checklist of questions that can be completed in 5 minutes and scored in less than a minute. The items are rated “never,” “sometimes,” or “often” present and scored 0,1 and 2 respectively. Other questions regarding social, academic, medical and psychosocial history are asked. Item scores are summed and the total score indicates the level of psychosocial impairment. For children age 6-16 the cutoff score is 27 or higher. Adolescents who were identified with psychosocial dysfunction who wanted additional services are referred for mental health services at the SBHC. Students who were identified but did not want services are not referred. The SBHC’s health care coordinator, nurse practitioner and psychologist manage the project. Results: Results of this ongoing intervention will be presented and discussed based on current chart reviews. Several variables will be discussed as they relate to being identified by the PSC-Y including gender of adolescents, insurance, rates of absenteeism and tardiness and behaviors of adolescents after they receive mental health services.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the session participants will be able to:
• Recognize the effectiveness of psychosocial screenings at School-Based Health Centers
• Describe the purposes and structure of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist completed by Youth (PSC-Y)
• Identify the links between students identified with PSC-Y and receiving counseling

Related Web page: www.mgh.harvard.edu/allpsych/PediatricSymptomChecklist/psc_home.htm

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Disclosure not received
Relationship: Not Received.